Citrus colors: fresh and zesty
Citrus flavors stand out as timeless favorites for all sorts of foods but especially for drinks. Their tangy and refreshing profile not only enraptures taste buds but also creates a synesthetic experience that engages sight, taste, and smell, transporting us to moments that range from energy to relaxation to refreshment. Let’s take a look at how we can use natural colors for citrus beverages.
Crafting an atmosphere
To create an atmosphere that resonates with the emotionally loaded concepts that are usually linked to citrus profiles, like summer, freshness, excitement, and intensity, it’s essential to consider the visual appeal of citrus flavored beverages.
And since visual appeal starts and ends with color design, we have to consider the actual pigments that citrus fruits produce. Oranges, mandarins, lemons, limes and grapefruits are all fruits called hesperidium (yes, like Hesperides’ garden from Greek mythology!) belonging to the same great family called Rutaceae. Their peel and pulp start out as green, with high contents of chlorophyll.
As they mature, the chlorophylls fade and they accumulate combinations of carotenoids like lutein, beta-carotene, lycopene, violoxanthin or zeaxanthin, among others. Some even produce anthocyanins, the red pigment found in berries, like the bold and delicious blood orange. Depending on the state of maturation each citrus fruit develops a particular blend of these pigments that is responsible for its distinctive color.
Choose from the citrus color wheel
Luckily, these pigments are also commonly used natural colors, so we can recreate the same precise visual imprint afforded by nature! Imagine capturing the vibrant green of limes by using copper chlorophyllin, or the sunny hue of lemons by using beta-carotene or safflower extract. And by utilizing blends of these same pigments, more nuanced citrus flavors are possible!
For example, the unique blend of citrus and herbal notes from Yuzu, can be replicated with emSeal® beta-carotene emulsions plus a hint of green from chlorophyllin.
The ever-sought profile of orange juice or the fashionable profile of kumquats can be achieved with slightly orange tinted beta-carotene emulsions also from our emSeal® line, that can be designed with or without a cloudy appearance according to your liking. And the bright colors of mandarins, tangerines, or clementines can be achieved with emSeal® paprika emulsions that are deodorized to deliver all the color without the pungency so the flavor can really shine.
To capture the subtle pink tones of pomelos and grapefruits, either anthocyanin-based color blends or lycopene emulsions can be employed. And finally, the same type or red anthocyanins can be employed to get the right shade of blood orange, hinting to that unique berry-like flavor of this trendy citrus variety.
Elevating citrus profiles with fruit blends
Citrus flavors on their own will always appeal to the consumer with their sweet and tangy charm. But innovative and delightful fusions with other fruits and herbs are also making a stand in the world of soft drinks and RTD beverages: raspberry lemonade, blueberry limeade or bold pairings like ginger and grapefruit…you name it! You can explore these expansions for flavorful profiles with an ever increasing range of our natural color blends, all with unparalleled functionality and processing stability.
Treat your consumers with a captivating drinking experience that starts at first sight with vibrant natural colors that promise a taste adventure with every sip!
Looking for more information on how to create these refreshing color inspirations? Download our Citrus Color Palette below to see how we blended natural colors to match the wide variety citrusy shades. Or contact us to get started on a project.
Related posts
How Color Affects Perception: from Moods to Flavours
Color and Moods Speakers: Catalina Ospina, Technical Marketing Specialist for Sense Colour Jeremy Roque, Consumer & Sensory Insights Project Manager for Europe Rojenia Jones, Sense Colour Product Manager for North America Join us as we explore the
Colours: See, Feel, Eat!
Take a look at Van Gogh’s Starry Night below. Observe it. Immerse yourself in it. How does it make you feel? Post-impressionist artists, like Van Gogh, Matisse, or Gauguin used colour, not to show nature or reality as it is, but as they felt it. They
Colouring foodstuffs: food that colours your food
Most people are already familiar with the concept of natural colours. In most cases, these are typically considered food additives. However, you’ve probably also heard or read about a type of natural coloring called ‘colouring foodstuffs’, or just
Peach Fuzz and Apricot Crush: Pantone’s Colours of the Year
Tranquility, connection, peace Speakers: Megan Jacobs, Global Marketing Director for Sense Colour Catalina Ospina, Technical Marketing Specialist Katie Floyd, Marketing Coordinator Lora Sparks, Digital Marketing Specialist Delve into the captivating colours
A Tale of Two Blues: Phycocyanins from Spirulina and Galdieria
If you are familiar with the natural colors world, you probably know there are very few sources of true natural blue shades, at least from living organisms. Blueberries and bluish flowers get their color from anthocyanins that, once extracted out of the cells
Let There Be Yellow! Natural Alternatives to Synthetic Yellow
Take a stroll through the supermarket aisles and you’ll see tons of products in a range of yellow hues. It’s a popular shade in foods and drinks because many natural ingredients are already yellow. But it is also intentionally used because it has been